10 replies to this topic

[Don Capps]

From time to time, I gird myself with lots of kevlar and check out how things are going over on the Readers' Comments Forum. It is usually a short visit. My ability to absorb rads is pretty limited and the nukes are still flying hot and heavy over there.

Anyhow, a thread (or two actually) on cheating and Ken Tyrrell showed up and got some traffic. So, is Ken Tyrrell the "greatest cheat in F1 history" or a scapegoat or just lacking in social graces?

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Yr fthfl & hmbl srvnt,

Don Capps

Semper Gumbi: If this was easy, we’d have the solution already…

[Fast One]

Tyrrell in 1984 was pretty bad. the 012 was filled up with a heavy liquid containing ball bearings to get the car up to weight. That wasn't exctly subtle, nor was it accidental. On the other hand, for sustained cheating, the Michael Schumacher, Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne combination is hard to top. Remember when Schumacher showed up a the pre-season weigh in (to determine how much ballast the cars would have to carry) with a lead-lined helmet?

[Dennis David]

Ken got a raw deal in my opinion. He was singled out and made an example of. Hell Colin was a lot worse or maybe I should say a lot better. and why the venom towards Rob Walker shown by one poster? Boggles the mind it does.

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Regards,

Dennis David
Grand Prix History

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

[f li]

Someone mentioned Cheating and Chapman in the same breath. Was Colin cheating when he sold 7's and Elans in kit form??? --- I don't think so! Nor do I think it was cheating when he created the oil can carrier so he could run longer exhaust pipes. (The exhaust pipes may not extend more than --- beyond the rearmost part of the car.)

[davo]

Rule bending verses cheating...

It may be spliting hairs but I have always had a quiet admiration for the creative stuff like Lotus chassis extensions and British non turbos topping up the water for brake cooling at the conclusion of the race and everything to do with 6cm ride heights.

Traction control, and fuel rig mods IMHO are something else - contemptible.

Perhaps the difference is that ones of the first type are argueably within the rules as published at the time, and while not necessarily advertised are able to be scrutineered. Those of the second type need to be concealed because they cannot be argued.

Looking back at Australian Motoring Regs it would be nice if each paragraph had a date and the initials of the driver who inspired the editing. To have your creativity accepted for one season and then clarified into illegality in the next season is perhaps the greatest compliment.

[Ray Bell]

I wouldn't agree in all cases, but it's true enough... like the rules for Sports Sedans that didn't envisage Corvairs or VW Chevs, but they were plainly achievable from day one.

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Huw Jenjin]

To Quote one of the more famous team owner managers "If you aint cheatin, you ain't winnin".
There are two forms of "Cheating" that are quite acceptable and really good fun, they are nice digs at the regulation drawers.

To purposely missinterpret the wording of a reg is good sport. To find a way to circumnavigate the purpose of a reg is also part of the challenge.
But to Cheat, that is, hide an illegal piece of equipment , really is cheating (Toyota WRC), and is not welcome to any part of our sport.
Finding a way to get what the organisers dont want you to have is part of lifes great challenge!

[Alfisti]

Ray... or Chev powered Alfetta's... that car is invincible.

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"Life will not break your heart, it'll crush it" - Henry Rollins.

[Ray Bell]

And, because of its rear gearbox, fits into the new regs... an anomoly that has reduced variety in the class.

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Darren]

That Alfetta GTV *was* invincible in Sports Sedans. Well, it gave Alan Jones' Porsche and Peter Brock's Chevy Monza plenty of trouble.

[Ray Bell]

1983? Is this about 1983?
They're still running the same cars... and Carling's thing has come and gone in that time.

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Life and love are mixed with pain...